He was recently sentenced to prison.
The Waterbomb 2025 festival has drawn some sharp criticism for booking a controversial hip-hop artist for its lineup.
The artist in question is rapper Sik-K, who was recently involved in a drug controversy.
According to a Star news report on June 11, KST, Sik-K is scheduled to perform at the Waterbomb festival this year on July 4 at the outdoor global stage of KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do. However, his participation has sparked significant backlash, given his recent conviction for drug-related offenses.
The organizers of the festival have responded to the public outrage, defending their decision. They stated that Sik-K was included in the lineup based on several key factors, which include his voluntary confessions of marijuana use and full cooperation with the investigation, the remorse and sincerity he displayed during the legal proceedings, his agency’s guarantee that the rapper will handle future activities responsibly, and a prior commitment to fans. According to the organizers, Sik-K views this upcoming performance as a chance to fulfill his obligations to his fans as an artist.
However, the organizers also showed sensitivity toward the public sentiment, acknowledging that people were well within their rights to hold artists to a “higher ethical standard” and the subsequent scrutiny Sik-K might face. They also mentioned that the decision to include him in the lineup might be reconsidered depending on the results of his ongoing appeal and changes in public opinion.
Sik-K was sentenced to 10 months in prison in May 2025 by the Seoul Western District Court with a two-year suspended sentence, probation, and 40 hours of mandatory drug treatment for smoking and possessing marijuana. During the trial, the rapper showed deep remorse. The prosecution has since filed an appeal, and Sik-K’s legal status in Korea is currently under review.
You can read about his case in detail here: